What Are The Best Apps For New Parents?

2 weeks ago

Welcoming a new
baby into the family is a wonderful and unforgettable experience — but it’s not
always plain-sailing. Knowing what to do and when to do it to look after your
little one can be tricky, especially if you’re a new parent.

But don’t worry,
there’s help out there. Using just your smartphone, you can get advice and guidance
on everything to do with being a new parent — from feeding tips to nearby play
groups. Check out this guide to the top new parent apps and make life as a new
mum or dad a little easier…

Ovia Parenting — Baby Tracker

This is a one-stop
app for all things ‘new baby’. With the Ovia
Parenting app, you can track your child’s development using a
checklist, share precious photos of your newborn with family and read new
articles on paediatric health to keep up-to-date with the latest in children’s
welfare.

More personal and
private than Facebook or Instagram, new parents love being able to invite
friends and family to follow their babies’ updates and videos! Plus, you get a
family calendar where you can log all those key development dates and check-up
appointments. Being a customisable app, Ovia Parenting feels completely
personal to you and your baby. If you’re feeling unsure about anything, you
also have the option of asking anonymous questions to a community of other
parents and children carers via the app.

Sound Sleeper: White Noise

One of the
trickiest parts of new parenting is getting used to your new sleeping pattern.
While some babies drift off easily, others need extra help and getting newborns
back off to sleep after waking up in the early hours is exhausting for mums and
dads. That’s where the Sound
Sleeper: White Noise app comes in.

With this, you can
choose from a wide range of soothing sounds to make falling asleep simpler for
your little one — including modern and traditional lullabies, as well as white
noises such as ‘rain’, ‘womb’, ‘fan’, and others. You also have a handy sleep
tracker mode that will monitor your baby’s downtime and help you develop and
maintain good sleeping habits.

Developed by new
parents, this app is designed with first-hand experience of tackling the issue
of bedtime. It turns on at the sound of your baby’s first cry — meaning you
don’t even have to switch it on in the middle of the night — and you can even
record your own sounds if you know there’s a special tune or noise that helps
your baby sleep.

DadPad

Many apps are
aimed at new mothers, but fathers are just as in need of help and guidance when
it comes to taking care of a newborn. If you’re a new dad and are feeling
unsure or apprehensive, download DadPad for
tips and peace of mind!

Here, you can
scroll through and select the concern you’re most worried about or just get a
refresher on key, baby-caring activities — like bathing and holding your
newborn. There are also plenty of advice articles, including ones to help you
support your partner and look after yourself, as well as tips on bonding with
your new addition to the family. Since parents, midwives and healthcare
professionals have all been involved in creating content for this app, you can
rest assured that what you learn is useful, relevant and accurate.

The best part is
that DadPad is part of the Maternity Transformation
Programme’sBetter Births
strategy, so information you receive via the app will relate to your local
health authority or NHS Trust.

Baby Monitor 3G

Being able to
watch over your baby without creeping into their nursery and disturbing them
sounds like an ideal scenario for many new parents — and it’s possible with the
Baby
Monitor 3G app.

Delivering quality
audio and video, the Baby Monitor 3G app is available on phone, tablet and desktop,
letting you keep track of every noise and movement your baby makes for your
peace of mind. Taking less than a minute to set up, just place one device in
your child’s room and keep the other near you to start watching over your
little one via live HD video. From your office to your bedroom, this app works
from anywhere. Not only that, you have the option to talk to your baby, too —
ideal when they need soothing back to sleep by the recognisable tone of your
voice.

Millions of
parents have already downloaded Baby Monitor 3G, which has also won the AppStore Best of the Year award in
several European countries, and you can even create an activity log for your
baby’s sleeping habits and play lullabies to them via your device’s music
library.

Mush

Referred to as the
‘number one app for mums’, Mush
is a godsend for new mothers who are keen to find support and friendship from
other local parents. Having a baby can sometimes feel isolating, as your whole
day seems to revolve around taking care of your newborn — but it doesn’t need
to. with Mush, you can make a profile in just a minute before scrolling to find
nearby mothers that you can connect with and arrange a get-together.

If you have a
question or concern, chances are many of the other new mums on Mush do, too! From
what double
buggy to buy to fit your family, to how to make the transition from
milk to baby food; this app lets you ask questions and get first-hand advice
from other users. Or you can simply browse the range of advice articles to help
ease your concerns.

Hoop

If you have children
aged between 0 and 11 years, the Hoop
app is for you. Keeping babies entertained is one thing, but if you have older
kids, finding the perfect activity is even more difficult!

Using Hoop, you
can find everything from toddler groups and dance workshops, to messy play
venues and soft play fun for all ages. Bringing together all the kid-friendly
activities in your area and separated into recommended ages, you can scroll
through more than 70,000 listed venues until you land on the perfect one for
your family. There are also plenty of free options listed on this app, too.

Already used by
around 750,000 families, this app is a must for busy parents who need
child-friendly entertainment fast!